In the context of the Water Framework Directive (EP and CEU, 2000), management plans have to be set up to monitor and to maintain water quality in groundwater bodies in the EU. In heavily industrialized ... [more ▼]

In the context of the Water Framework Directive (EP and CEU, 2000), management plans have to be set up to monitor and to maintain water quality in groundwater bodies in the EU. In heavily industrialized and urbanized areas, the cumulative effect of multiple contaminant sources is likely and has to be evaluated. In order to propose adequate measures, the calculated risk should be based on criteria reflecting the risk of groundwater quality deterioration, in a cumulative manner and at the scale of the entire groundwater body. An integrated GIS- and flux-based risk assessment approach for groundwater bodies is described, with a regional scale indicator for evaluating the quality status of the groundwater body. It is based on the SEQ-ESO currently used in the Walloon Region of Belgium which defines, for different water uses and for a detailed list of groundwater contaminants, a set of threshold values reflecting the levels of water quality and degradation with respect to each contaminant. The methodology is illustrated with first results at a regional scale on a groundwater body-scale application to a contaminated alluvial aquifer which has been classified to be at risk of not reaching a good quality status by 2015. These first results show that contaminants resulting from old industrial activities in that area are likely to contribute significantly to the degradation of groundwater quality. However, further investigations are required on the evaluation of the actual polluting pressures before any definitive conclusion be established. [less ▲]

In the context of the Water Framework Directive, management plans have to be set up about water quality issues in surface and ground water bodies in the EU. In heavily industrialised and urbanised areas ... [more ▼]

In the context of the Water Framework Directive, management plans have to be set up about water quality issues in surface and ground water bodies in the EU. In heavily industrialised and urbanised areas, the cumulative effect of multiple contaminant sources is likely to present a risk which has to be evaluated. In order to propose adequate measures, the calculated risk should be based on criteria reflecting the risk of water quality deterioration, in a cumulative way and at the scale of the whole surface water or groundwater body. An integrated GIS- and flux-based risk assessment approach for groundwater and surface water bodies is described with a regional scale indicator for the evaluation of the quality status of the groundwater body. It is based on the SEQ-ESO currently used in the Walloon Region of Belgium which defines, for different water uses and for a detailed list of groundwater contaminants, a set of threshold values reflecting the levels of water quality and degradation with respect to each contaminant. The methodology is illustrated with a first real scale application on a groundwater body corresponding to a contaminated alluvial aquifer which has been classified at risk of not reaching a good quality status by 2015. [less ▲]

In the context of the water framework directive, management plans have to be set up about water quality in surface and groundwater bodies in the EU. One of the first steps is to evaluate the risk of ... [more ▼]

In the context of the water framework directive, management plans have to be set up about water quality in surface and groundwater bodies in the EU. One of the first steps is to evaluate the risk of contamination of these water resources, and particularly the risk posed by contaminated industrial sites. From the perspective of water resource management, each of these sites taken individually does not necessary constitute a major threat. However, in heavily industrialised and urbanised areas, the cumulative effect of multiple contaminant sources is likely to present a risk. In order to propose adequate but still economically reliable measures, the calculated risk should be based on a so-called megasite approaches using criteria reflecting the water quality deterioration, in a cumulative way, at the scale of the whole surface water or groundwater body. A GIS-based regional risk assessment approach is developed here for groundwater bodies using the SEQ-ESO currently used within the Walloon Region as indicator to reflect the quality status of the groundwater body. The approach is applied on the groundwater body RWM073 “Gravels and alluvial deposits of the Meuse river between Engis and Herstal”, identified at risk of not reaching a good quality status by 2015. The different steps of this methodology consist of an inventory of proved or potential contaminating industrial sites, a numerical modelling of pollutants behaviour at the scale of the groundwater body and the application of the SEQ-ESO that finally gives a global quality status of the whole groundwater body. This analysis also serves as basis for a socio-economic approach intending to provide indications on costs and benefits generated by total or partial remediation of the contaminated groundwater bodies according to the different management scenarios. [less ▲]

in Liebscher, Hans-Jurgen; Clarke, Robin; Rodda, John (Eds.) et al The Role of Hydrology in Water Resources Management (2009, June)

Management of water resource systems includes adequate decisions about groundwater resource protection. Groundwater vulnerability maps can greatly help for these decisions. In the vulnerability assessment ... [more ▼]

Management of water resource systems includes adequate decisions about groundwater resource protection. Groundwater vulnerability maps can greatly help for these decisions. In the vulnerability assessment, physical attributes are often mixed with conventional priorities implicitly embedded in the applied methods. Results from one or another method can consequently be very dissimilar and decision makers are losing confidence in these tools. A methodology is proposed to reframe the groundwater vulnerability assessment in a Pressure-State-Impact causal chain that is familiar to decision makers. The physically-based analysis is clearly separated from the agreement aspects induced by local societal, environmental or political priorities. An example is given and perspectives of generalisation are evoked. [less ▲]

Numerous groundwater vulnerability and risk mapping techniques have been developed taking into consideration a variable number of factors. The most common techniques are based on calculation of an index ... [more ▼]

Numerous groundwater vulnerability and risk mapping techniques have been developed taking into consideration a variable number of factors. The most common techniques are based on calculation of an index expressing the protective effect of underground formations overlying the groundwater resource. The limitation of most of these methods is related to their use of a qualitative definition of groundwater vulnerability, as opposed to a definition based on a quantitative description of contaminant migration. A physically-based point of view and definition of the vulnerability is proposed and based on three factors describing a pollution event, which are the contaminant transfer time from the hazard location to the 'target', the contamination duration at the 'target' and the level of contaminant concentration reached at the 'target'. This concept allows a clear distinction between conventional aspects and physically-based results in the building of a final vulnerability indicator. This methodology has the further advantage to consider the possible impact of runoff conditions occurring at the land surface and possibly leading to lateral contamination of groundwater through downstream preferential infiltration features. Practically, this method needs to describe and simulate the pollutant migration in the unsaturated zone and possibly in the saturated zone in order to assess the breakthrough curve at the 'target'. Preliminary application is illustrated on a case-study located in a limestone basin in Belgium. Perspectives are proposed towards a generalisation of the vulnerability concept for risk assessment within a pressure - state - impact framework. [less ▲]

In order to achieve some consistency in the establishment of groundwater intrinsic vulnerability maps in Europe. a new, approach is proposed by Working Group 1 of the European COST Action 620 on ... [more ▼]

In order to achieve some consistency in the establishment of groundwater intrinsic vulnerability maps in Europe. a new, approach is proposed by Working Group 1 of the European COST Action 620 on "Vulnerability mapping for the protection of carbonate (karst) aquifers". A general procedure is offered which provides consistency while allowing the required flexibility for application to a continent and under conditions of varying geology, scale, information availability, time, and resources. The proposed methodology is designed to be clearly more physically based than the existing vulnerability-mapping techniques. It takes the specificity of the karstic environments into account without necessarily excluding the applicability to other geological conditions. Combined "core factors" for overlying layers and for concentration of flow, account for the relative protection of groundwater from contamination while taking into account any bypass of the overlying layers. A precipitation factor is distinguished for describing: characteristics of the input of water to the system. Differentiation is made between groundwater resource intrinsic vulnerability Mapping and Source intrinsic vulnerability mapping. For the latter, a factor describing the karst network development is relevant. This short technical note describes a first stop in the work program of Working Group 1 of the COST Action 620. Future steps are now in progress to quantify the approach and to apply it in various European pilot areas. [less ▲]

Starting from the observation that lacks and drawbacks of existing vulnerability methods are strongly related to the fuzzy and ambiguous definitions on which these concepts rely, a more physical point of ... [more ▼]

Starting from the observation that lacks and drawbacks of existing vulnerability methods are strongly related to the fuzzy and ambiguous definitions on which these concepts rely, a more physical point of view of the concept of vulnerability is pro-posed. An applied definition is derived from what actually underlines the concept of groundwater pollution. For intrinsic vulner-ability, three factors describing a pollution by a conservative contaminant are defined : contaminant transfer time, contamination duration and level of concentration reached by the contaminant. These factors are schematically put into a three-dimensional diagram, called the vulnerability cube, which can be used to assess or validate the vulnerability of any point within a given catchment. [less ▲]